Ashwina Māsa: September 8 – October 6

The storm-tossed, rain-laden skies of Varshā rtu give way to the calm and balanced beauty of Sharad rtu with the start of Ashwina māsa, the first month of the autumnal season. In the traditional cycle of seasons – the annual Rtu Chakra, Sharad is a dearly awaited season. Because it arrives after the tumult and extremes of two seasons – Grishma rtu scorched us with its intensity and dazzling light, while Varshā rtu overwhelmed us with water and gave us moody, storm-darkened skies. Thus, Sharad rtu, with its calm blue skies and a verdant earth, with its gentle beauty and the grace of a goddess, arrives as a benediction. Sharad rtu is the beauty of wisdom and peace; it is the celebration of a world in harmony and of the abundance of the goddess. It is a time for balance, when the energy of the Sun and the Moon co-exist in equality.

Once, in the Vedic age, to live through the beauty of a perfect Sharad rtu, was a keenly sought for blessing.

In literature, in mythology, in nature Sharad rtu or Autumn is a time of beauty but also a liminal threshold. In the western cultural narrative Keats immortalised it as ‘the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ where the beauty of abundance walks hand in hand with its waning and the onset of a season of snow. Meteorologically, September 1 marks the beginning of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. And the month was and continues to be known as the harvest month in many parts of the world. In the subcontinent Autumn is also celebrated as the season of harvest.

September, which typically coincides with Ashwina, the traditional first month of Sharad rtu, is also the month of winds. Gentle, almost balmy breezes carry on them the fragrance of the flowers that begin to bloom at this time. The sharp sweetness of Parijat at dawn, the delicate whiff of Saptparni, the sweet delight of Madhumalati, the sensuality of Champaka, the heady beauty of desi Gulab and of course the beguiling delight of Jasmine… Ashwina is a month that celebrates fragrance in all that it offers.

As nature comes into balance, so does our body. In Ayurveda Sharad rtu is the time when the body finds it easiest to be in balance in terms of the three doshas – Pitta, Vata and Kapha. And there are traditional practices of selfcare that can aid us further in keeping our body and mind harmoniously balanced. In the next section we once again reiterate the two beautiful practices that are traditionally recommended in this season.

Rituals of Balance

Hamsodaka: This is a traditional ayurvedic practice that helps the body to be in balance, using solar and lunar energy. Varshā rtu, with its excess of water and lack of sunshine creates an imbalance in the body. However, Sharad rtu brings with it a natural restoration of balance – in nature and in our bodies. This is the season when the energies of the Sun and the Moon are considered equal. The warmth of the Sun in this season is gently warming and the Moon offers its cooling equally gently.

In the Charaka Samhita it is recommended that in this season we consume water which has been first heated by the rays of the Sun and then cooled overnight under the moonlight. This water, called Hamsodaka, is considered nectar for the body and the senses. For best results use vessels made of glass or terracotta or Silver for the water.

Sensory Delight: A recommended ritual practice for this month is the wearing of a garland of fresh flowers every day. This practice displays a very sophisticated understanding of the impact that the fragrance of flowers can have on our physiological and psychological body. Amongst the three beautiful flowers available in this season are Jasmine, Desi Gulab and Champaka. Deeply fragrant, all three offer their own calming and grounding benefits to the mind and senses. They are also an expression of the feminine beauty which this season celebrates and exemplifies par excellence.

Jiva Nirlekhana: In Ayurveda the arrival of Sharad rtu is seen as the time that is ideal for the body to return to a tridoshic balance. Varshā rtu does both – aggravate our doshas and lead to a slowing down of our metabolism, i.e., a weakening of our digestive fire. A gentle and simple practice that can encourage the body to return to balance in this season is Jiva Nirlekhana or tongue cleaning. Ideally this is recommended as a daily hygiene practice in Ayurveda. But it is thought to be particularly beneficial during this season. Using a pure Copper or Silver tongue scraper, clean your tongue every morning to rid it of the coating of toxins or Ama. Jiva Nirlekhana also improves our sense of taste and can aid better digestion.

Festive Rituals

Sharad rtu is also often referred to as the season of the goddess; she who creates and nurtures life; she whose abundance enables life, and she whose grace soothes and heals us.

Rituals of Remembrance: Sharad rtu begins with a fortnight dedicated to the ancestors for Hindus. In these two weeks, known as Shraddha, ancestors are honoured with ritual offerings and prayers. Once the past is acknowledged and honoured, the celebrations arrive.

Rituals of the Goddess: According to one legend, the season is thought to derive its name from the goddess Sharada; she who presides over the power of speech or Vac and learning and fine arts. Regardless of whether this is true or not, this is most certainly the season of honouring the divine feminine energy. Of these amongst the most widely celebrated are the Dakshinayana Navratri or the nine nights of the Goddess that come in the month of Ashwina. In these we celebrate the goddess Durga, the slayer of evil.

Lover’s Moon: Ashwina māsa ends on a radiant note; the most mythologised Full Moon of the year – Sharad Purnimā. On this night the Full Moon is said to display all of its sixteen kalas or aspects and the moonlight is thought to be healing. This Full Moon is also celebrated as the Lover’s Moon; the night of magic when Radha and Krishna engage in Ras Leela under the moonlight in groves redolent with the scent of Parijat. But it is also seen as the Full Moon of spiritual illumination, with this night being celebrated in many parts of India as ‘Kojagiri Purnimā’. Literally it asks, ‘who is awake?’ And those who are awake are said to blessed by Lakshmi, who is also the goddess who bestows the wisdom to see beyond material abundance.

May Ashwina charm you with its gentle grace and may the goddess bless your hearth with abundance.